Process of smelting ores



UNITED STATES PATENTOEEICE.

essary that the solid materials of the charge I PROCESS O F SMELTINGORES.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 519,129, dated May 1,1894. Application filed fieptember 9, 1893. Serial No. 485,164. (N0Specimens-l I To wZZ whom/it may conoerm:

coma, in the county of Pierce, State of Washlngton, have invented a newand Improved Process of Smelting Ores, of which the following is afull,clear, and exact-description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved process forthe rapid and economical smelting of such ores of gold, silver, copper,nickel, cobalt and other valuable metals as will, when melted in afurnace, without previous roasting, produce a matte or speiss. Theprocess consists in feeding into a blast furnace, as a part of thecharge,

molten matte orspeiss, so that the descending stream of liquid materialshall come in contact with the currents of air and other gases frombelow, and be decomposed thereby. To carry out this process I withdrawthe melted matte or speiss from the bottom of the furnace, or of aneighboring furnace, and elevating it in pots to the feed-floor, Ipourit in a thin stream upon the ore charge already in the shaft of thefurnace, whereby the liquid is scattered into particlesor globules, andruns downward through the interstices of the ore, and comes in contactwith the ascending currents of air and other gaseous substances arisingfrom the region of the tuyeres, when a mutual decomposition sets in, thesulphur, arsenic and antimony being burned off and the base metals beingconverted into oxides, which tend to unite with the silica of the chargeand produce slag. This decomposition takes place to a greater or lessextent each time the matteor speiss is poured upon the charge, theeffectbeing to diminish the amount while increasing the richness of the matteor speiss in valuable metals. At the same time, much heat is produced bythe chemical action of the gases on the hot liquid, which added to thesensible heat of the melted matter, assists very materially in bringingabout the necessary smelting reactions, thuseconomizing fuel.

The extent of the decomposition brought about, and consequently theelfectiveness of the process, will depend upon the oxidizing power ofthe gases, and this in turn upon the volume of blast, coarseness of thecharge, and

character of the fuel. For the proper and advantageous working of theprocess it is necshould be kept hot, in order that the matte p or speissfalling thereon should not be cooled Be it known that I, HERBERT LANG,of Ta and solidified into masses along with the ore. 'lo keepthe top ofthe charge sufficiently hot,

it is necessary to feed the furnace low, whereby the heat approaches theupper surface of the ore and prevents the solidification of the matte orspeiss when it ispoured in. It is p I also important touse a charge ofcoarse materials, in order to allow the matte or speiss to find its waydownward among the interistices. Some matte, unburned, taking thevaluable metals, reaches the hearth, where it acts powerfully inremoving obstructions. I recognize the fact that the common blastfurnace may be so charged and blown that a considerable proportion ofunconsumed oxy- 7o gen maybe driven quite through the charge, in amanner to make my process very efiective; but I do not limit myself tothe use of any specific construction of furnace or accessory apparatus,by means of which my process may be carried on, for I am aware that manymodifications in such constructions may be made, and many difierentforms of such be used without departing from the process and the spiritof my invention. limit myself to thedecomposing efieots of the oxygen ofthe air-blast, but seek to cover in my claim the useful effects of anyand all other gases which may be made to react hen eficially upon meltedmatte or speiss for the I purpose and in the manner described. Again,

I do not limit my claimto the use of furnaces in which acold air-blastis used; but include the use of heated blasts in the manner and for thepurpose described. a

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent p The herein described process forsmelting thefurnace soas to bringit in contact with T the oreand gases in thefurnace, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

p p I HERBERT LANG.

Witnesses: I

JOHN TURNER, A. J. HoLMEs,

Nor do I 80' ores of gold, silver, copper, cobalt, nickel, 5 I I goingon, and pouring the matte or speiss into

